


A sadder and a wiser man

by Lothiriel84



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-19
Updated: 2012-10-19
Packaged: 2017-11-16 15:04:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/540758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lothiriel84/pseuds/Lothiriel84
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now he's the one that rolls the dice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A sadder and a wiser man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tromana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tromana/gifts), [Miss_Peg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Peg/gifts).



> Written as a part of the Great Stocking Swap on Paint It Red forum. A huge thank you to MerriWyllow for betaing my story.

_The Rime of the Ancient Mariner_ has always been his favorite poem, ever since he read it for the first time. He was just a boy back then, and yet was deeply affected by the scene where Death and Life-in-Death play dice for the souls of the Mariner's crew.

Now he's the one that rolls the dice. He decides who's going to live and who's going to die – a power which he enjoys immensely.

Death has always been called the grim reaper, but he's added his personal touch to such a clichéd image. Were he to choose an epithet for himself, he would go for something like _the merry reaper_ ; that's the reason why he leaves a smiling face painted in blood beside each body. If people are not smart enough to understand its meaning – well, that's none of his business.

Occasionally he plays the role of Life-in-Death as well; last time he's done it was the night he killed Patrick Jane's wife and daughter.

They are the albatross his long-time foe is still carrying around his neck. Being sorry is a far worse punishment than being dead, and he'd made sure that Mr. Jane learned it the hard way.

Now Patrick is a sadder but wiser man, and Red John takes all the credit for it.


End file.
